Pasta vs. Canned Tuna
Nutrition comparison of Pasta and Canned Tuna
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
pasta
versus
canned tuna
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in pasta and canned tuna:
- Both pasta and canned tuna are high in calories, potassium and protein.
- Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and folate, however, canned tuna contains more Vitamin B12.
- Pasta is an excellent source of dietary fiber and iron.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Pasta (Pasta, dry, enriched) and Canned Tuna (Fish, tuna, white, canned in water, without salt, drained solids) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both pasta and canned tuna are high in calories. Pasta has 190% more calories than canned tuna - pasta has 371 calories per 100 grams and canned tuna has 128 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, pasta is much lighter in protein, much heavier in carbs and lighter in fat compared to canned tuna per calorie. Pasta has a macronutrient ratio of 14:82:4 and for canned tuna, 78:0:22 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Pasta | Canned Tuna | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 14% | 78% |
| Carbohydrates | 82% | ~ |
| Fat | 4% | 22% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Pasta is high in carbohydrates and canned tuna has less carbohydrates than pasta - pasta has 74.7g of total carbs per 100 grams and canned tuna does not contain significant amounts.
dietary fiber
Pasta is an excellent source of dietary fiber and it has more dietary fiber than canned tuna - pasta has 3.2g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and canned tuna does not contain significant amounts.
sugar
Canned tuna has less sugar than pasta - pasta has 2.7g of sugar per 100 grams and canned tuna does not contain significant amounts.
Protein
protein
Both pasta and canned tuna are high in protein. Canned tuna has 81% more protein than pasta - pasta has 13g of protein per 100 grams and canned tuna has 23.6g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Both pasta and canned tuna are low in saturated fat - pasta has 0.28g of saturated fat per 100 grams and canned tuna has 0.79g of saturated fat.
cholesterol
Pasta has less cholesterol than canned tuna - canned tuna has 42mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamins
Vitamin A
Canned tuna has more Vitamin A than pasta - canned tuna has 6ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and pasta does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Pasta and canned tuna contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - pasta has 0.11mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and canned tuna does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin K
Pasta and canned tuna contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - pasta has 0.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and canned tuna does not contain significant amounts.
The B Vitamins
Pasta has more thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and folate, however, canned tuna contains more Vitamin B12. Both pasta and canned tuna contain significant amounts of niacin and Vitamin B6.
| Pasta | Canned Tuna | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.891 MG | 0.008 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.4 MG | 0.044 MG |
| Niacin | 7.177 MG | 5.799 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.431 MG | 0.124 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.142 MG | 0.217 MG |
| Folate | 237 UG | 2 UG |
| Vitamin B12 | ~ | 1.17 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Pasta and canned tuna contain similar amounts of calcium - pasta has 21mg of calcium per 100 grams and canned tuna has 14mg of calcium.
iron
Pasta is an excellent source of iron and it has 240% more iron than canned tuna - pasta has 3.3mg of iron per 100 grams and canned tuna has 0.97mg of iron.
potassium
Both pasta and canned tuna are high in potassium. Pasta is very similar to pasta for potassium - pasta has 223mg of potassium per 100 grams and canned tuna has 237mg of potassium.
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, canned tuna has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA), DHA, EPA and DPA than pasta per 100 grams.
| Pasta | Canned Tuna | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.024 G | 0.071 G |
| DHA | ~ | 0.629 G |
| EPA | ~ | 0.233 G |
| DPA | ~ | 0.018 G |
| Total | 0.024 G | 0.951 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, pasta has more linoleic acid than canned tuna per 100 grams.
| Pasta | Canned Tuna | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.54 G | 0.055 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.051 G |
| Total | 0.54 G | 0.106 G |
Customize your serving size
The comparison below is by common portions, e.g. cups, packages. You can also see a more concrete comparison by weight at equal weight (by grams) comparison.
Note: The specific food items compared are: Pasta (Pasta, dry, enriched) and Canned Tuna (Fish, tuna, white, canned in water, without salt, drained solids) .
Pasta g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Canned Tuna g
()
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
|
5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | saturated fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
| MG % |
|
5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does pasta or canned tuna contain more calories in 100 grams?Both pasta and canned tuna are high in calories. Pasta has 190% more calories than canned tuna - pasta has 371 calories in 100g and canned tuna has 128 calories.
Is pasta or canned tuna better for protein?
Both pasta and canned tuna are high in protein. Canned tuna has 80% more protein than pasta - pasta has 13g of protein per 100 grams and canned tuna has 23.6g of protein.
Does pasta or canned tuna have more carbohydrates?
By weight, pasta is high in carbohydrates and canned tuna has fewer carbohydrates than pasta - pasta has 74.7g of carbs for 100g and canned tuna has no carbs..
Does pasta or canned tuna contain more iron?
Pasta is an abundant source of iron and it has 240% more iron than canned tuna - pasta has 3.3mg of iron in 100 grams and canned tuna has 0.97mg of iron.
Does pasta or canned tuna contain more potassium?
Both pasta and canned tuna are high in potassium. Pasta is very similar to pasta for potassium - pasta has 223mg of potassium in 100 grams and canned tuna has 237mg of potassium.